Rail-joint closer.



No. 637,827. Patented Nov. 28; I899.

H. C. OUESENBEBRY. BAIL JOINT CLOSER.

Application filed Aug. 81, 1899.} 6N0 Model.)

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. UNITED, STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY O. QUESENBERRY, OF TAZEWELL, VIRGINIA.

RAIL-JOINT CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,827, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed August 31, 1899. Serial No. 729,124. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it may concern.-

Be it known that LHENRY C. QUESENBERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tazewell, in the county of Tazewell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint Closer, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates to rail-joint closers. The device is intended to be applied for adapting the positions of railroad-rails with respect to each other, to close or open the joints, and comprehends a pair of clamps and mechanism connecting the clamps and operating first to efiect the clamping of the rails and then to move the clamps with respect to each other for the purpose of opening or closing the joints.

The specific construction of the invention and its application will appear more fully hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is aperspective view of the contiguous ends of two rails with my adjustment applied in use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the rail, one of the clamps, and the draw-rod, the clamping-bolt being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamps. Fig. 4is a detail perspective view of the drawrod, its nut, and washers. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of one of the clamps and a fragment of rail, the clamped position of the former being illustrated in dotted lines; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the jaws 9 with a portion of its arm broken away. Fig. 7 shows a different arrangement of the parts for separating or increasing the separation of the ends of the rails.

Referring to the numerals of reference, indicating corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 and 2 indicate the contiguous ends of a pair of rails constituting sections of a railway-track, and 3 indicates an open rail-joint to be closed quickly and with a minimum expenditure of labor.

My rail-adjustment comprises a pair of clamps 4 and 5, arranged to grip the bedfianges 6 of the rails and to be urged together to effect the closing of the joint by what may be designated a draw-rod 7, passing through the outer ends of arms 8, extending from the clamps 4 and 5. Inasmuch as'the clamps 4 and 5 are constructed identically, I will describe one of them in detail and will then deor wrench-lug l5.

fine its relation to the other. The clamp comprises a pair of jaws 9 and 10, through the lower ends of which is passed a clamping-bolt 11, screw-threaded at one end, as indicated at 12, to engage internal screw-threads in the bolt-opening 13 of the jaw 9. The outer end of the boltthat is to say, the end opposite the thread 12is enlarged or headed, as indicated at 14, and terminates in a squared end The opening 16 in the jaw 10, through which the clamping-bolt passes, is smooth or unthreaded for the reception of a plain portion of the bolt in order that the latter when turned by the application of the Wrench to the wrench-lug will draw the jaws together. The contiguous or inner faces of the jaws are provided with flange-recesses l7 and 18 for the reception of the bed-flanges of the rails and defined by horizontal ledges 19 and 20 and overhanging biting-flanges 21 and 22. The flange 22 is serrated or toothed at its edge, as indicated at 23, to cause it to bite into the bed-flange and possiblyinto the web of the rail. This biting-flange 22 at the upper edge of the jaw 10 practically conforms to the somewhat-inclined surface of the bedflange, and the depressions forming the ser rations orteeth 23 may, if desired, be extended partially or entirely across the bottom face of the flange to obtain a maximum frictional surface to prevent slipping of the jaw when clamped upon the rail.

The biting-flange 21 of the jaw 9 is extended beyond the side of the jaw and somewhat beyond the edge of the opposite end of the flange and is sharpened, this extension constituting what may be termed a beak 24 at that point upon the clamp which receives the greatest strain and located immediately over a corresponding beak 25, projecting from the contiguous end of the'ledge 17.

Extending from the jaw 9 in the general direction of the bolt 11, but having a slight upward inclination, is the arm 8, heretofore referred to, provided at its end opposite the clamp with the slightly-elongated opening 26 for the reception of the draw-rod 7, and in its outer face and at diametrically opposite sides of the opening 26 is formed with notches 27, for a purpose to be defined.

In practice a clamp thus constructed is connected to the rail by passing the opposite edges of the rail-bed flanges 6 through the recesses17.='amdi1'8.

opposite sides of the rail, causing the serra- (ions 23 of the biting-flange 22 to bite into the bed-flange and at the same timebringing the; beak 24 into contact itsr'ed'ge with basebf the Web of the rail, the beak extending under the rail nearly to the edge of the ledge 18. A second clamp, identically construct-ed, is then placed upon a contiguous rail,.and; the outer ends of the arms 8 are connected. by mechanism which serves to draw them to-' gether with considerable pressure.

Inasmuch as .the beaks 24 and 25 of the jaws 9 arelocated adjacent to :;the contiguous facesiof the clamps, the applicatlion of .PI'GS- i sure to :theouterends of the-arms iniopposite dilBGYUlOIlSgOIj, \iniotherwords, in theadirection j of each-other, =Wi=ll5fi PSi Eefli8CU the tightening; of the clamps upon the rails, and continued pres-sunewill :then eifect the "closing .of the joint by the'drawing up of the ra ilfsections.

.iIt has been asserted that the exertion ofi ipressure on, more sprop'erly,"of opposed pressures, upon the ou'ter' endsof the'arm-s S will? eifectthezclarmpingzof the rails. This :is by :reason of the fact that the :pressure exerted alzponthe clanrps is directed in agplane substantially parallel with the gripping-faces, but :atga ipoint-sorfarito one sideof the clamps "fthatratorsionalstrainiseiiected. This causes the beaks .24 to biteiintotherails andzto limit mhe twisting or torsional movement of :the aclamips. :ln-thismon nection the Jfunction-of v the beak 25 will appear, since itsmaysomie- Jti meshapPemtlhat th'e beaks24not beingsu-fliici-entlgy extended :to-reach -t he web'of the rail xa consi dera ble lateral strain 'w ill iloe -exerted upon the :bolts 11 which nnight result rl-nthe b'endingio'f :the :bolts were it not for the provvision of these lower beaks 25, which, ex-

itendiug'u-nderithe rail, are designed to contaet'with :the ledges20 of'the jaws :10 to compel approximate parallelism of the jaws, and

thereby :prevent the bending of the bolts.

This lateral movementof =thearms 8 is :per-

mitted by reason :o'it' the elongated openings tli'erein.

:Amyssuitable means'for drawing the.-anm-s 8 together to :apply the clamps and :close the jOi-ntZmay be provided; but I prefer to employithe draw-rod 7,';passedrthroughrthe open- Eingst26 in thearm-s and providedatitsopposite ends with'screw-threads 28and diametrically-extending lugs 29. The lugs 29 :ex-

..Itend into notches 30 in the outside face of .theiarmfl, and the threaded endz28'of the-rod,

is provided adjacentto the outer face of the -o1ther;arm:8 with a set-washer 31,, provided withl-ugs 32, engaging the notches 27, and behind this washer is located a .plain washer 3.3 and-aunt 34.

.Itwilrlbeaobvious that by the application of a wrench to the innt "34 the latter will :be rotated,-.efiectingthedrawing upof the-draw- Ilhe clainpinglbdlt isithen I turned to bring the jaws tightly against the rod and urgingthe arms 8 to effect successivelytheaappllication of the clamps and the closing of the rail-joint. j r

In Fig. 7 of the drawings is shown one of the arms 8 and an adjacent portion of the draw-rod 7 and illustrating the arrangement of the draw-ingenut'and Washers when it is desired to increase the separation of the rail ends under those conditions where the rail ends are too close, or to draw the ends apart when they are in actual contact, and thus to .prevent disarrange mentof the pa-rts-of frogs, switches, he.

:A-sshoxvnin the drawin gs, the arm 8 against which the washer 31 impinges is provided Witha second series of notchesAO upon its inner ifa'ce,:and'when it is desired to:separate the rails thein ut 34Iissfi rst engaged with ethe threads-cf the rod "7., and "the rod is ith'e'n al.11-

the .lugs '29 .lyingagainstlthezinner fiacezthereof and in the recesses 42. "The washer 33 is then placed upon the !rod 7, and then the washer 31, with its lugs .32 lying 'in the 51'6- *cesses 40. The arm .8 which has been 'd'isengagedfrom theqflange i6iofzthe 'rai1l2 @is adj-ustedto-said .flangez-and in the position =to receive the rod 7. .Byithen rotating :the nut 3 bit will force ithe intervening washers .in sthe direction off =the:arm '8, and aconitimued rotation of theznutiwillforcetheanms firapart and separate orincrease the separation of zthe Trail :ends.

' What I claim is '1. J11 ami-l j'oint:adjnsten; aipair of iopposite'clam.ps,each ofthe latter-rcomprisingirelatimely-movable jaws for detachahleeengageimen t with rrespective :railssectionsimean-s for adgjiustably connecting ltlle respective vjaws,

located belovwthagrrpprng-f-aces ith'ereof,-'-and extending beneath the Tail-sections, and (operatingimeans'connectingthe oppositeiclamzps,

01 movingethelatter in opposite dine'ctinns, and locatedatzone side of the-.clampszandzbelow-the treads of the zrails.

2. :In-araii1-jointsadjnster,:a;pairofiopposite clamps for "application :to 'the respective mail- .se'ctions, :each clamip having a laterally-exitendingiarm providedxwithran e'longat'ed open- "ing a .draw-barloosely fitted :in :theelon gated of the barxand shaving rlugs 'for engagement witheitheriof the-slots-iof the:adsjacent arm,

and a nut carried by the threaded portion of the bar and for engagement against the setwasher, ateit-her side of the adjacent arm.

4. In a rail-joint adjuster, a pair of opposite clamps for application to the respective railsections, each clamp comprising jaws engaging opposite sides of the rails, and provided with a beak and a ledge, respectively, for engagement with each other beneath the rails, and one of the jaws having an arm, a drawbar slidable loosely through the arms of the clamps, and means for moving the clamps in opposite directions, and carried by the drawbar.

5. In a rail-joint closer, the combination with a plurality of clamps comprising relatively-movable jaws having flange-recesses in their contiguous faces, of adj Listing-bolts connectin g the jaws below said recesses, arms extending from said clamps, and mechanism intermediate of the arms for urging them in opposite directions.

6. In a rail-joint closer, the combination with a pair of clamps respectively comprising a pair of relatively-adjustable jaws provided with flange-recesses in their contiguous faces defined between horizontal supporting-ledges and overhanging biting-flanges, the bitingfiange of one jaw being extended to form a beak, and mechanism operatively connecting the clamps;

7. In a rail-joint closer, the combination with a clamp comprising a pair of jaws having flanged recesses in their opposed faces, said recesses being defined between horizontal supporting-ledges and overhanging biting-flanges, beaks extending from the supporting-ledge and biting-flange of one of the jaws adjacent to one side thereof, an arm extending from one of the jaws and provided with a terminal opening, a clamping-bolt adj ustably connecting the jaws andlocated below the flange-recesses, a second clamp similarly constructed, a draw rod extending through the openings in the arms, and means for preventing the rotation of the draw-rod, and a nut upon the draw-rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. HENRY O. QUESENBERRY. Witnesses:

H. BANE HARMAN, R. S. GILLESPIE. 

